Lake Metroparks' Discovery Days give children a look at farm life (with video)

Jeff Forman/JForman@News-Herald.com
Rick LeMaster helps Chloe Kurian, 8, hitch a horse Monday during Discovery Days activities at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark. Chloe was at the park with her mother Marcy Hudson. They live in Madison Township.

The six dairy cows barely noticed the kids leaning against the gate, peering at the massive animals.

Ann Petersen, livestock manager at Lake Metroparks Farmpark, said the cows are old pros when it comes to handling the large crowds that turn up for Discovery Days.

Since Monday was Presidents Day, children and their parents took advantage of the free time and roamed the grounds at the Farmpark for the activity-filled day dedicated to teaching kids about farming and where their food comes from.

Being a part of the county's parks system, the Farmpark aims to show people the role farmers in Ohio and across the globe play in bringing food from fields to tables, said Christina Bellas, the facility's interpretation and education manager.

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Another goal of the Farmpark is showcasing conservation of the environment and farming methods, she added.

One of the day's most popular activities was the milking station at the Dairy Parlor.

Petersen said children who try their hand at milking usually have one of two reactions -- this is cool or disgust.

For many kids it's the first time they've seen a cow up close or even at all, she said.

"I've been with the park here 24 years and when we first opened you'd hear visitors come through, 'Oh, you know our Aunt So-and-So? She's got cows.' Now 20 years later we're another generation removed from where our milk comes from," Petersen said. "For kids, the whole idea that this animal is producing something that I've got in my fridge at home, it's getting harder and harder for them to make that connection."

After visiting the cows, people packed the visitor center's theater for the homemade ice cream making seminar.

"We had so many people. And it was hard because we have a hand-crank ice cream maker and everyone wants a turn," Bellas said after the first session was over. "But it was a lot of fun."

Carole Dietz, of Painesville Township, brought her daughter, 6-year-old Samantha, out to enjoy Discovery Days. The pair found out about the event after Samantha's school sent out a notice.

"She's looking forward to making the ice cream," Dietz said as they waited for the Stone Soup demonstration to open up. "It's a nice day, except for the wind."

Petersen said the weather always worries the staff a little bit, but this year visitors came right at 9 a.m. when the Farmpark opened.

In addition to encountering cows and ice cream making, Discovery Days participants also made s'mores, baked bread, interacted with horses, learned about crops and seeds and observed the newest arrivals at the Farmpark's barn.